Overview & Reviews

For more than 100 years now, Ford Motor Company has been selling mass-produced automobiles in the United States and around the globe. Known as one of the Big Three American manufacturers, Ford has attracted millions of loyal customers with a wide range of vehicles that offer considerable value. The automaker's trucks and SUVs have been especially popular. For decades, Ford's F-Series truck has been the best-selling vehicle in America.

The company was founded by Henry Ford in 1903. Ford dreamed of building a car for the masses, and that's precisely what he did, most notably with the immortal Model T of 1908-'27. The latter was bought by 16.5 million Americans during its 20-year lifespan and was affordable enough for Ford's own factory workers to purchase. Ford's early years were also distinguished by its introduction of the moving assembly line. It was the first to utilize this more cost-effective method of production, and its innovation became a mainstay of the manufacturing process.

Ford expanded into the luxury-car market with its purchase of Lincoln Motor Company in 1925. Over the next few years, the company broadened its focus even further by creating the Mercury division to produce mid-priced cars. By the late '30s, Ford had unveiled the stylish Lincoln Zephyr, introduced a low-priced V8 engine and built more than 25 million vehicles.

The 1950s saw the introduction of the legendary Thunderbird. Offering sleek styling and spirited performance wedded to available luxury features like power windows and a signal-seeking radio, the car was a huge hit. Another model of that decade, the Edsel, met with a somewhat less enthusiastic reception. In the wake of abysmal sales, the Edsel was discontinued just a few months into its third model year.

Ford regained its footing in the early 1960s with the introduction of the compact Falcon, a model that was warmly received by the public. By the middle of the decade the automaker had given enthusiasts something to cheer about with the launch of the sporty Mustang, a car that went on to become one of the biggest sellers of its day. Buyers adored the Mustang's low price, available powerful V8 engines and sporty styling. The Mustang even created a brand-new vehicle category: the pony car.

By the 1970s, Ford, like other domestic automakers, was starting to suffer the effects of changing consumer tastes and new government regulations. Many of its cars became shadows of their former selves. But the seeds of rebirth were planted in this decade. In 1979, the company acquired a stake in Mazda; this move would later aid Ford significantly in co-development projects. The company also emerged with a new mindset of global competitiveness.

By the mid-to-late '80s, Ford was showing new strength with its popular Escort and Taurus models while further expanding its empire with the purchase of the Aston Martin and Jaguar brands. Meanwhile, its full-size LTD sedan (later renamed the Crown Victoria) remained a staple of taxi companies and police forces throughout America.

Ford rode a wave of popularity in the 1990s, thanks in part to the huge success of its Explorer midsize SUV. The truck played a huge role in ushering in the era of the SUV. In 1999, Ford expanded its family yet again with the purchase of Volvo's car division, and, in 2000, it acquired Land Rover. For awhile, there was talk of Ford even taking General Motors' spot as the No. 1 automaker in the world.

But the new millennium initially saw a downturn for Ford. Increased competition, a continuing operating loss for Jaguar, legacy costs and a reliance on SUVs for profit took their toll. To compensate, the company sold Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo and introduced a wave of successful new products. Models like the F-150, Fusion, Fiesta, Focus, Flex and Mustang have allowed Ford to regain its health and standing as a very competitive manufacturer.

User Reviews:

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  Wake up Ford or I buy elsewhere!! - 2011 Ford Explorer
  By Rita Brands - September 9 - 2:32 pm

  Too many people have problems with the shift to park signal on the Explorer!! I have always driven a Ford product for the last 40 years. If Ford doesnt do a recall on the shift to park problem then I am moving on!!!

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  Ford exploder - 2004 Ford Explorer
  By Glenn.t - September 9 - 9:57 am

  A quick review of my 2004 Ford Explorer . Purchased used in 2011 . Comfortable ride . Once it hit 120,000 thats were things started to go down hill. Ball joints , power steering pump. Wheel bearings. Head lights . Turn signals. And most recently , a transmission. Dropped around 7 grand total in repairs to keep on road , the last 18 months. Gas mileage is down right crappy . My advise would be not to buy one of these ford exploder.......

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  Ford Edge - Edgy in curves - 2015 Ford Edge
  By Tom - August 31 - 5:10 am

  The "Edge" is very comfortable. I rented this model to go on a trip from NC to Tennessee. Car did great until we encountered the curves in the Tennessee mountains. The rear of the car felt like it was coming up to the front when going in to curves. Rear traction very unstable. Tires had correct air pressure, only 2000 miles on car. Navigating through the electronics (via the up and down, left and right arrows, on the left side lever) is terrible. The Auto Traction function is (in my opinion) useless. I Definitely like "the ride comfort" but, the traction and instability in curves turns the "Purchase Option" off for me.

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  2500 miles and twice to dealership - 2015 Ford Escape
  By Roland K - August 29 - 2:46 pm

  Bought a 2015 Escape S in Feb 2015. As of August 2015 it has 2500 miles on the ODO, sleeps in a covered garage safe from the elements. It has been to the dealership twice for safety recalls. While I appreciate that the manufacturer issued the safety recalls, I think that their quality control is lacking and could have avoided these recalls. Due to these recalls, I have lost 2 half days from work and had to spend money out of pocket for taxi to get back to the dealer (they offer one way shuttle). I purchased a new vehicle because I couldnt afford to be losing time off work, but its a lesson learnt. It is also amazing that a cargo cover is an option that doesnt come with a vehicle thats listed for $23,500. To fords credit they had a representative call me to find out if the vehicle was working properly after the 2 dealer visits, but if they invest in quality control Vs resources for follow up calls, they would have prevented this review. This is my first experience with ford (I wanted to buy American) after being a customer of japanese manufacturers for 20+ years. I have to say that I am underwhelmed and wish I had stayed with a Japanese car. Im in the process of investigating trading in this vehicle for another brand because of my experience so far.

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  Give me my 2011Cruze back - 2015 Ford Fusion
  By donald k - August 28 - 10:27 pm

  I should have taken the dealers offer to take it this car home overnight. I test drove it on a good highway and the ride was quiet and comfortable. I found out after buying it that on the country roads I travel to my home the ride is harsh and lots of road noise. I like the automatic climate control, rear camera and the transmission is very smooth. The seats arent very comfortable for a long drive. The sticker claims 22 city 26 combined and 33 highway, so far the best I got was 21.9 and that is driving with a very light foot . I hate to think what will happen if I drive it a little aggressive. The last several vehicles I owned I always got at least the combined mileage rating. How could the EPA estimates be so far off?

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  Extremely Disappointed with Ford - 2005 Ford Freestyle
  By Lisa - August 28 - 7:08 pm

  own a 2005 limited awd..duratek engine is great, but CVT trans is junk. I first noticed the car started lunging around 80k miles. Progressively got worse. Then the transmission went. MANY transmission specialists told me its about a $6k job, and they didnt even want to touch it. Even the Ford dealership told me the car wasnt worth the fix. You cant even find a salvaged/rebuilt CVT because they are ALL junk, and if you do, no one will guarantee anything. And after reading everyone elses posts with the exact same problems, its an absolute abomination that Ford would not do a recall. Ford is well aware of these issues, even launched an investigation, but never made the recall! I still owe about 1k on the beast, and i will probably get a few more months out of it so im gonna drive it into the ground. Ive always been a Ford girl, and was especially proud that they didnt take a bailout. But Ford is still using this transmission, and their full knowledge of these issues and refusing to stand by their product has really put me off. Basically, we are getting screwed, and they dont care. I am extremely disappointed with Ford. I am no longer a Ford girl.

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  This car had run its course - 2007 Ford Focus
  By Marie - August 28 - 4:45 pm

  Im driving my dads old Focus now and hate it. Its not well-made inside and even with a Bluetooth, connectivity is iffy. There is nothing comfortable about it. Now looking for a Mazda or other, newer Ford.

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  Drive Shaft, Door Latches and all 4 door agitators - 2010 Ford Escape
  By Anthony S. - August 27 - 8:50 am

  I bought my 2010 Ford Escape used with 27,000 miles on it in October, 2012. I had a drive shaft issue which was fixed by the dealer as a recall item. When I reached roughly the 40,000 mile mark in early 2014 I began to see problems with my door latches opening with the remote key fob ( I realize the mileage has NOTHING to do with the door agitators). Since I didnt always open all 4 doors and it was happening only once in a while it wasnt that much of a hindrance. My driver side always (and still does) work with an old fashioned key turn process. Fast forward to the fall of 2014 and now 3 of my 4 doors were giving me problems. I took it to the dealer and the verbal quote to fix the problem was "around $2000.00". I knew the problem wasnt going to fix itself but it was more than I could afford at the time. It was especially difficult to imagine that a car worth around $10,000 had 20% of its value in door latches and agitators. Beginning summer of 2015 all four doors were/are only working with the remote about 1 out of 10 times. But my driver side rear door now wasnt opening AT ALL. I took it back to the dealer, who was extremely courteous, and they gave me a written quote of $2,200 for the 4 door latches/agitators plus another $500.00 for the door that wouldnt open problem. So now I have a car worth about $8,500 with about 25-30% of its value in those door latches. The car was perfect for my size (64) and worked great when all of the current issues were not issues. In doing my research, it is difficult for me to believe that there hasnt been a recall on this problem since so many other people have had door latch/agitator problems with Ford Escapes. The dealership(s) (I have spoken to 2 certified Ford Dealerships in the process) have NEVER seen all 4 door latches go. The fact that they occasionally work tells me that it could be another issue but the dealership is pretty confident that it is the agitator. Hopefully a recall becomes available in the near future or I may be forced to trade this car in rather than put out so much money for such a seemingly minor issue. I may be better off selling off parts since they apparently carry way more value than a traditional trade-in.

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  Not As Good As Expected ! - 2014 Ford Escape
  By Bill York - August 24 - 11:00 am

  Having owned Fords previously with little to no trouble, this Escape has not been as good. The ride is very jittery, but it does handle well with good brakes. The AC has quit working twice with no help for the dealer since he could not replicate the problem. Now the rear hatch panel/handle has broken and is going in for repair. The gas mileage is not anywhere close to the window sticker, I actually get better mileage from my Mustang ! This is not going to be a long term keeper but still too new to trade and lose our shirt. Our Escape is one year old with approx. 10,000 miles.

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  fire fire - 2011 Ford Fiesta
  By Pamela Alavian - August 24 - 7:26 am

  I was in getting my hair done .tow and a half hours I opened my door and the whole console melted like a candle. It must have been a short in the power outlet. Ford better pay for this